In the end, assuming edible food and safe physical facility, quality of staff is what matters. Give me a slightly-dreary facility with outdated furniture, minimal gym, nothing but a few old board games for recreation, but well-trained, attentive and caring staff, and you can keep your state of the art facility, gourmet meals, and roster of social activities.
Thank you for sharing these 4 questions to ask when choosing nursing home care. My father is growing old and has been living alone for 5 years now. My siblings and I are always worried about his health and how he lives by himself. We wonder if something serious is going to happen when nobody is there. Just like you said about your mother, we do not want our father to go to a nursing home either since he is still functioning. I will have to keep looking for an assisted living agency. Thanks! -Camille
The first thing to remember is that there is no perfect nursing home. When looking for information regarding citations, complaints and overall quality of care indicators it is important to put things in perspective. Focusing on one complaint or report doesn't really give a clear picture of a nursing home's quality.
Quality changes for a variety of reasons and can change quickly. Look for patterns and issues that occur often. For example someone may see a citation for "pressure sores" or "abuse" and fear that it reflects the overall care at a nursing home. This is not necessarily the case. If there is 1 case of either that only happened one time and there are no other indicators, then it may be a one time incident that was resolved appropriately. When a nursing home is cited they are required to provide a plan of correction. In some cases it prevents future incidents, in other cases it isn't enough.
The 5 -Star rating can be helpful with providing information. Keep in mind however that much of the information is self reported by the facility.
There are 4 main sources that can be helpful when it comes to information:
2. Local Long Term Care Ombudsman: You can always find their number on the poster of a local nursing home (as they are required to have it posted) or you can contact your local Area Agency on Aging. ---- Long Term Care Ombudsman have a regular presence in the nursing homes. They do visits and advocate for residents. They keep a record of complaints and should have a good sense of the quality of a nursing home. They should also be able to help you with the State Health Department's annual surveys, complaints and citations---which is number 3 on this list.
4. Nursing homes are required to provide access to their state surveys to visitors and residents of the nursing home. Generally you will either see it on the table in the lobby as a binder. In some cases there will be a notice that says who you can ask to see it (most often the receptionist). If you do not have access to this information online then this can be a great alternative.
When touring a nursing home, visit during different times of the day. Use a checklist as mentioned in an earlier post and most importantly if possible include your loved one with the process.
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4 Questions to Consider When Choosing a Nursing Home
-Camille
Quality changes for a variety of reasons and can change quickly. Look for patterns and issues that occur often. For example someone may see a citation for "pressure sores" or "abuse" and fear that it reflects the overall care at a nursing home. This is not necessarily the case. If there is 1 case of either that only happened one time and there are no other indicators, then it may be a one time incident that was resolved appropriately. When a nursing home is cited they are required to provide a plan of correction. In some cases it prevents future incidents, in other cases it isn't enough.
The 5 -Star rating can be helpful with providing information. Keep in mind however that much of the information is self reported by the facility.
There are 4 main sources that can be helpful when it comes to information:
1. Medicare website: http://www.medicare.gov/nursinghomecompare/search.html
-----(this will have the 5 star rating)
2. Local Long Term Care Ombudsman: You can always find their number on the poster of a local nursing home (as they are required to have it posted) or you can contact your local Area Agency on Aging.
---- Long Term Care Ombudsman have a regular presence in the nursing homes. They do visits and advocate for residents. They keep a record of complaints and should have a good sense of the quality of a nursing home. They should also be able to help you with the State Health Department's annual surveys, complaints and citations---which is number 3 on this list.
4. Nursing homes are required to provide access to their state surveys to visitors and residents of the nursing home. Generally you will either see it on the table in the lobby as a binder. In some cases there will be a notice that says who you can ask to see it (most often the receptionist). If you do not have access to this information online then this can be a great alternative.
When touring a nursing home, visit during different times of the day. Use a checklist as mentioned in an earlier post and most importantly if possible include your loved one with the process.